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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

New Adult Threesome Contest Entry #16

Title: WORDS IN THE WINDOWSILL

Genre: NA Spec-Historical Fiction/Time
Travel

Word Count: 60,000

Query:

Grad
student and self-proclaimed “Ladies Man” Hans Meyer has the world at his
piano-playing fingertips. All he has left to do is write his
thesis. But when his research takes him two centuries back in time, Hans
stumbles upon a secret that will change history, turning this 21st century
“player” into a gentleman.

Hans
has discovered the manuscript for a mysterious symphony-composer,
unknown. Recognizing that this discovery could make a fantastic thesis,
Hans sets off for Germany in the name of research. When he begins
receiving text messages from a bizarre entity, identified only as “Vox”, Hans
becomes intrigued.

Vox’s
messages convince Hans that there is a way to learn firsthand about the history
of the piece: a trip on The Time Train. Curiosity combined with a
desire to write a killer thesis override Hans’ reservations and he lets destiny
buy him a ticket to ride. After a stunning trip through time, he is
dropped off at the doorstep of The Fiddler’s Inn, in Vienna, 1820.

Time
in the 19th century illuminates
many things for Hans. He meets a sixteen year old mute boy named Florian,
and gives him piano lessons in exchange for room and board at the inn. He
also encounters Analeise, a Viennese beauty, and experiences real love for the
first time, transforming this 21st century cad into a gentleman.

But
the most earth shattering discovery, however, were the words Hans found in the
windowsill of his 19th century
bedchamber. Eighteen year old love letters, written between a chambermaid
and Beethoven describe a secret union that produced an offspring…a boy who
would one day compose the mysterious symphony. Hans recognizes that
this knowledge changes history. If Hans goes forth with this information,
the future will be rewritten. And Hans may not be able to exist with
that.

First 250:

With
my right foot firmly planted on the piano’s sustain pedal, the final tones of
“Piano Man” suffocated under the din at The Tavern.

“They
can’t get enough of me!” I shouted over my shoulder at Joe, my buddy, still seated
back at the bar. The end of semester partiers, mostly females, made it
hard for Joe to hear me. He cupped a hand to his ear in an attempt to get
me to repeat myself.

I’d
been behind the piano at The Tavern for several numbers that night, the women
in the crowd swooning over my every note. I had that effect on the
ladies, or at least my music did. I began my musical studies at the age
of five and never stopped. Now as a graduate music student, I had lots of
skills under my belt.

“Alright,
last song.” I winked at the cutie standing to my right. “I’m headed
across the Atlantic in a couple days,” I announced, as the crowd began to hush,
“and I can’t think of a better reason to play Billy Joel’s ‘Vienna’.
Enjoy.”

The
noise of the crowd decrescendoed to silence. Focusing myself, I began
with the treble right hand notes fluttering over the keys in the song’s
tinkling pattern, my years of classical piano training shining through.
The song’s poignant lyrics filled the room as I sang. I moved into the
instrumental interlude, but not with a harmonica, as Billy Joel did.
Instead, I improvised a solo.